China

PV InfoLink has released its latest solar PV module shipment ranking for H1 2018. Chinese manufacturers continue to dominate the market, while monocrystalline module shipments increased sharply. Overall, it forecasts total PV demand of 83 GW in 2018.

“Significant” price movements in solar PV cells has been observed this week, in reaction to India’s safeguard duties, and the impending MIP decision, says EnergyTrend. Module, wafer and polysilicon prices, however, remain stable. In contrast, prices for li-ion batteries are set to increase by as much as 15% in Q3.

The solar manufacturing equipment maker has posted an EBIT of US$15 million for the six-month period. It marks a return to profitability for the Swiss company, after major restructuring and cost optimization programs over the past 18 months.

With a wave of consolidation predicted, the module manufacturer has announced a strategic partnership which will see it open up its overseas sales network and scale to smaller peer Tunghsu Kangtu.

GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd expects profits for the six months ended June 30, 2018, to drop between 60 and 70%, down from the around RMB 1.2 billion (US$173.6 million) it earned in the previous year.

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the 30% import duties on Chinese PV products do not comply with the World Trade Organisation’s rules. The Chinese government added that its solar industry could be seriously damaged.

Module manufacturing giant Canadian Solar shipped 1.7 GW of modules in the second quarter of 2018, a 23.7% increase on the previous quarter, according to the company’s latest update. Net revenue, however, fell more than 50% quarter-on-quarter with the company blaming fewer project sales and lower module prices.

The Chinese PV manufacturer has proved to the European Commission that it does not use products from China at its Malaysian plant. Therefore, the commission has exempted these products from the applicable minimum import price regime.

The stay on the newly-proposed duty imposed by the Odisha High Court will offer relief to developers waiting to collect shipments from port. But companies must agree to pay the tariff at a later date if it is upheld by the judicial system.

According to PV Info Link, the price for monocrystalline cells in China fell below that of the usually cheaper multicrystalline products. However analysts expect it to be a blip, with multi prices expected to fall and mono to be supported by the Top Runner Program, now China’s main source of demand for the rest of 2018.